The Cold Cut Platter: When it's too hot to cook

We've had 90 degree days for a while and it's just too damn hot to cook. This is what you do when the cat is sticking to linoleum and the mercury threatens to blow. Go to the supermarket and get a bunch of cold cuts and some salad veggies.

What you need:

• a large plate
• a regular knife

Ingredients:

• bread
• assortment of cold cuts (what I used) -

1. low salt turkey breast
2. low salt ham
3. roast beef

• condiments (what I used) -

1. mustard
2. mayonnaise
3. horseradish
4. Russian dressing

• salad stuffs (get only the amount you think you can eat in one sitting)

1. romaine or boston head lettuce
2. bag of baby carrots
3. grape tomatoes
4. feta or blue cheese crumbles
5. celery
6. and anything else you like in a salad

• your dressing of choice

Step 1: It's too freeken hot!

When you live with a Scottish person, you can forget about having the stove or the oven on until October and some days no one can bear the heat. That's ok. With this dinner you'll be fine. Take each type of cold cut and roll it up and arrange them like a fan on the plate.

Step 2: Pass the mustard, please.

You can put out the condiments of your choice in the same containers the came with so you don't have to clean extra dishes. If you want to, you can put a small amount of each condiment into little bowls or dishes. I used ramekins. It's more for presentation than anything else and you can get these at Amazon.com or cooking stores with no problem.

Step 3: Salad anyone?

Wash the lettuce and remove the outer leaves and any that look kinda brown. Rip or chop it up. Roughly chop the other vegetables that you have if they need chopping. Obviously if you like beans in your salad you don't have to chop them......

Dress the salad if you like and serve.

There ya go. Dinner is done.